For some reason I can't get the Italic words in the right places when I upload my new chapters…something's going on wit my computer. So from now on….

Dahlia's thoughts will be Thought

Any telepathic links will be ~thought~

If I can get italics I will.

Okay chapter 19

2 years later

Salix slammed his fist down onto the table in sheer frustration, 'you do not understand. These people are a threat. They have been left alone for far too long and they are becoming a liability. We cannot just keep ignoring them.'

'You forget that these Day breakers are our brethren. They may consort with humans but they are still of our kind.'

The speaker was a young vampire whose expression was calm and mild, the expression of one trying to appease an angry child with logic. Salix however was neither a child nor illogical. He knew something was up.

'I think you are the one who is forgetful Kendrick. Ash Redfern is a threat. He and his friends have killed countless of our best agents and assassins. Though he was the heir of Hunter he turned on us. We have him in our grasp now. I will not let him go unpunished; it is time that Circle Daybreak realised that I mean business. Up till now they have not understood with whom they are dealing with. But I will soon make it known.'

There was a short pause and then Salix sat down and abated. In a more controlled tone he spoke smoothly, 'All in favour of making an example?' The other members of the council who were gathered in a circle around a fire made their decision. Those in favour inclined their heads slightly.

'Those opposed?' Salix counted the votes. He had won. 'The motion is passed forward.' Salix rose out of his seat and walked out of the council room. Running his hands through his dark blue hair he strode to his quarters. To the guard outside he said, 'Send for the prisoner, I wish to speak with him'

The werewolf guard nodded curtly and left. Salix entered the room and breathed out loudly. Kendrick was becoming too soft. He would have to remind him of his past…or kill him, either way he must be dealt with. Leniency towards vermin and all those who stand with them was unacceptable. Salix moved to his bar and poured a drink from a glass decanter.

'Hello Salix.' He stood stock still then slowly turned around, coming face to face with one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen, and he had seen a few. She had flowing blonde curly hair that fell in a waterfall down her back to her waist, stray wisps framing her face. Her skin was pale yet her cheeks had colour and her face was natural without the sticky look of artificial enhancers or make up. Her cheekbones were defined and her figure was willowy yet filled out in curves, in all the right places. Salix was in momentary awe. He recovered and spoke softly, 'Hello. I don't believe we've had the pleasure of meeting. You are?'

The woman smiled silkily, like a cat playing with a toy. 'Don't you think the question is, 'how did I get into your room without you noticing?'' Salix cocked his head to one side.

'Yes there's that also. What exactly is it that you are here for?' He sipped from his glass and got a prickling up his back, a subtle warning that all was not right here.

'I've come for you. Do you realise that in a few minutes you will die?' Salix was surprised but didn't show it.

'Many people believe that they have the power to kill me, but few have succeeded. In fact only one ever has, but I'm now un-dead, immortal. Not to sound conceited, but I don't believe you could hurt me,' Salix repressed a sinister smile, but his stance betrayed his arrogance.

The woman wiped the smile off her face and spoke with purpose, 'I am here, 'she continued, 'for every life you have ever taken, for every heart you have ever broken. I am not here to frighten you into submission as you have done to so many others, for if you are unafraid it is useless to try to scare you with death. I will make this brief and painless, I will show mercy, but I will not spare you.'

Salix was at a loss for words. No one had ever spoken to him like this. Her voice was as cool as the calmest of waters. He didn't understand what she was saying yet it did not seem like a typical speech made before a murder. Most of the idiots sent to kill him spouted macho clichés such as, 'This is for Sheila,' or 'drop dead scum.' This was something different. He was intrigued. Another man under these circumstances would be afraid, but Salix took a step towards the young woman whose face was as expressionless as her words. The woman raised her hand and a ball of fire hovered above it. Salix gasped inwardly, she was a druid!

'I call upon the earth and sky, aid me in my justice!' the very air around Salix began to grow restless, and blew around as an indoor wind. Salix's hair whipped up and his face was slapped with the force of it. He could feel the energy radiating off of her and was about to speak, but was interrupted. The door opened and the guard came in with a young man, in a wooden spiked collar held by a chain. His appearance was beaten and bloody. The guard opened his eyes wide at the sight of the woman holding fire in one hand and commanding wind with the other. She did not see the guard and the boy, but she sensed them. Turning around, her concentration was broken. The wind died down and her fire extinguished. Salix took this opportunity to dart forward and grab Ash by his chain. The werewolf guard scared and startled, turned tail and ran out of the door.

In the few minutes of conversing with the woman, he had gotten a measure of her character. It was one of Salix's great abilities. He knew that though this woman sought revenge from him; she would be unwilling to kill an innocent. He held an advantage, and he certainly knew how to use it.

'Are you sure you would be willing to kill him as well as me? Would you take a life that was not responsible for your pain? What did I do? Kill your father, brother, lover?' Salix smiled, an evil glint alive in his eyes.

The woman hesitated and it was enough. Salix removed a vial from his coat and smashed it to the ground. Smoke billowed and the woman was temporarily blinded. Once the smoke cleared Salix was nowhere to be found. The woman cocked her head, she sensed 10 men coming to attack her. She cursed under her breath but made a snap decision. Grabbing the prisoner she muttered a spell.

The guards entered Salix's quarters only to find they had vanished. Salix followed after they had left. He looked around but found nothing belonging to his mysterious visitor. He had a feeling that he would have died that day, had it not been for divine intervention. He would have to be more careful in future. And he would have to find out who this strange druid was. So he could kill her.

*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*

Ash opened his eyes, but he was no longer in Salix's bedroom. He was not facing the same woman he had seen grabbing him either. The woman in front of him had red hair and a fuller face. She looked in danger of fainting. Ash grabbed her before she could fall. The girl pulled him close to her mouth so he could hear her words,

'Don't leave the house…I–It's not safe. There is…blood in the fridge…don't go anywhere or touch any books. It's dangerous…believe me,' and with those words she lost consciousness. Ash lifted her up and placed her on the couch next to him. Where the hell was he?

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Dahlia was in a dream. She was walking through a garden, a grove; everywhere there were dead bodies; faces of her family and friends…except they weren't really dead. They kept talking to her. Telling her what she should have done. Blaming her.

Why didn't you stop him Dahlia? I thought you were a true druid. I thought you were worthy. You've disappointed me…Nagini's voice was heard through the murmurings.

Suddenly she ran she couldn't take it anymore. She ran and ran and ran, before colliding with someone. She looked up and it was Dain. They hugged and she held on believing she would never let go, murmuring over and over, 'I'll not let you die again, I love you, and you can't leave me again.' She lifted her head to kiss him before coming face to face with a rotting corpse. Blood flowed from a gash in his head…tears flowed down his face and he collapsed into her. There was blood all over her hands. She couldn't wash it off. It wouldn't come off her hands…it was everywhere. She saw Salix running away from her laughing.

'You'll never catch me!' he called back at her. Dahlia tried to run again but she was dragged back. There were people holding onto her legs dead people, their eyes staring into the sky. Dahlia started screaming, but she couldn't shake them off. Suddenly it all vanished.

Dahlia found herself alone on a tall building looking down at the metropolis that was Vegas. Next to her was a figure. Dain came to sit next to her and looked down with her to the people below.

'Is he worth becoming a murderer for?' Dain's voice asked.

'He killed you,' Dahlia whispered, 'that's enough for me.'

Dain sighed and shook his head, 'No Dahlia I'm alive, you just need to find me. I promised I'd never leave you. I love you remember?'

Dahlia just held her head in her hands. 'You're just a dream. You're dead. He killed you. He has to pay.'

Dain got to his feet and said, 'you're blind to what's in front of you're very eyes.' With those words he stepped off the edge of the building, plummeting to the ground.

Dahlia screamed 'NO!' but it was too late.

She woke up sweating, her heart pumping fast in her chest, and looked around. She was lying on the sofa. Getting up, Dahlia moved to a mirror.

She saw a red haired girl, slightly chubby and freckles adorning her face. She still had on her disguise to fool Ash. Though he probably guessed by now that she's different. She should be careful about how much she tells him.

Where is he I wonder?

Dahlia made her way to her office room. It was painted a sea blue colour, to refresh her thoughts and settle her mind. She found Ash, feet up on her oak desk, munching on her packets of nuts and dried fruit and sipping blood out of one of her crystal glasses. He was playing games on her laptop! Dahlia had long since learned to control her temper…but Ash still managed to ruffle her hidden temper. Not enough for public view but enough to unsettle Dahlia.

Ash looked up from the screen and stopped the game. He got his feet off the desk and stood up, accidentally dribbling blood on her wooden floor. Dahlia summoned the blood to her hand and sent it back to the glass. Ash watched her mutter the spell, amazed.

Dahlia spoke clearly and calmly, 'How long have you been here?'

Ash grinned lazily, 'Well only yesterday I was being threatened with death and dismemberment until you somehow beamed me up to your weird house. I've been here for a day and a half.'

Dahlia smiled inwardly pleased with her progress…she was getting better. The last time she transported a human, she was unconscious for two days; it had been an experiment. Ash tried to read her face but Dahlia was neutral.

'So who are you anyway? And how did you manage to freak Hedera anyway? Salix isn't the kind who makes mistakes.'

Dahlia moved to her laptop and side stepped Ash. She checked her history and he had been mainly playing games, he had tried to access the email, but had been thwarted by her tight security system. As she had no phone, he would not have been able to make contact with anyone.

Ash found himself slightly intimidated by Dahlia but managed to hide it…it wouldn't do much for his rep, if he was known to be scared of a small girl who looked about 14 in age. Though her voice didn't sound like a 14 year old. Dahlia turned back to Ash, she noticed his hand was bandaged. She understood.

'I told you not to leave the house,' she said indicating his hand. 'The doors are protected with the most powerful spells you couldn't have broken them.

Ash grimaced minutely, 'I had to try…people will be worried about me. At least I hope they will.' Dahlia ignored him, and moved back towards the door.

'Follow me,' she ordered curtly.

Ash, not used to taking orders attempted to joke, 'Aww, you just use me and loose me huh? C'mon don't you want to have a little chat first? You may like me?' he put on his most charming grin to complete the look. Dahlia stared at him expressionless.

'I'll show you out,' she countered before turning back to the front door.

'Tough crowd,' Ash muttered.

Dahlia placed her hand just in front of the door. Not touching it she spoke in the ancient tongue of the druids.

Lemonine thaeyla thuathe chulara Dain (wherever you are I'll find you Dain) *I totally made this up no language whatsoever. I'd do it in Egyptian but those characters can't be uploaded on Fan fiction*

Ash listened carefully to the words, memorising them should he need them again.

Dahlia pulled the handle, and the wooden door swung open. She stood next to it and held out a hand, a gesture for him to leave. Ash tried once more,

'You know I work for Circle Daybreak…they are all a bunch of tree-hugging love sick twits…but…well I'm one of them. We could sure use you on our side. If you're against Salix, we're the people to join. I'm not usually in that habit of trying to recruit new members, but you did save my life…so…' he trailed off, unnerved by Dahlia's unwavering stare. It took a lot to unnerve Ash, but this unknown girl strangely alarmed him.

'I'll keep that in mind,' was all Dahlia replied. Ash, with one last glance at Dahlia walked out. Once outside he looked back but all he saw was a beaten down old wreck, with a NO TREASSPASSING sign. The door he had just come through had disappeared and the beautifully furnished house he had been in was nowhere to be seen. Ash couldn't find any way back in. Whoa this girl is something, he thought.

Dahlia watched Ash Walk away, and then glanced at the clock. It was already 7 in the evening, she could commence her training having missed a whole day and half previously. Dahlia walked into her training room, picked up a sharp sword and began drills.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

There u go chapter 19! Thanx 2 Graffiti…Sharmeen…and Vaire-the-weaver (formerly known as Isilwen Telpefion)

Luv Dani!